Tractor



Dec. 25, 1923. 1,478,824

G. R. GEHRANDT TRACTOR Fi1ed Dec@ 1, 1919 5 sheets-sheet 2 Decfs, 1923. 1,478,824

G. R. GEHRAN-DT TRACTOR Filed Dec. l. 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 25, 1923.

UNITED STATES vPATENT OFFICE.

GUSTV R. GEHRANDT, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO INTERNATIONAL EARTH-BORING MCHIN E CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

' raacron.

Application led December 1, 1919. Serial No. 341,769.

To all 'whoml z't may concern.'

j Be it known that I, GUs'rAv R. GEHRANDT, a citizen of Germany, residing at Evanston, in the county'of Cook and State of Illinois,

have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Tractors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tractors.

More particularly, it relates to tractor loearth boring machines, drills, pile drivers,

and the like.

Portable earth boring machines, pile drivers, etc., are ordinarily provided with a tower which carries the operating tool and is supported in a vertical or inclined position substantially above the place where a hole is to be made or a pile is to be driven.

With the usual vehicle, in order that the tower may be properly positioned, it has been the practice to pivotally mount the tower upon the vehicle so that the tower may be moved horizontally in a circle to accurately osition the tool above the work and so that t e tower may be swung to the vside of the vehicle when'the work is to be done in or in close proximity to an excavation. When the tower is thus swung to the side of the vehicle, it is often necessary to provide stays or outriggers to prevent the vehicle from being overturned by the weight and action of the tower and the tool carried thereby.

An object of the present invention is to provide a tractor, for this class of work, wherein a horizontally rotatable tower is unnecessary.

Another object is to provide a tractor on which the tower is relatively immovable in a horizontal plane.

Another objectl is to provide a tractor 4l@ wherein the tower may be readily positioned above the work.

Another object is to provide a, tractor whereby the work may be done in soft ground or in close proximity to excavations or in other 4diiicult places.

Another object is to provide a tractor wherein a rigidly mounted towery is counterbalanced by the power plant. y

Other objects and advantages of the in vention will appear from the specification and claims.

An embodiment of the invention, particularly adapted for earth' boring machines, is

illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- L 1 is a side elevation of the tractor.

Fig. 2 is a top plan thereof, and

Fig. 3 1s an enlarged top plan of the forward end of the tractor with the tower shown 1n section. i

The tractor comprises a caterpillar tread and drive 5, carrying the vehicle frame at one end of which an auger tower 7 is rigidly supported and on the other end of which a driving motor 8, such as a gasoline engine, 1s mounted. Between, the tower and the englne and at one side of the tractor, there is a cab 9 for the operator.

T he caterpillar comprises a pair of closed chain treads or endless tracks 15, one on eacn s1de, upon and by means of which the vehicle 1s moved. Each tread passes over a pair of sprocket wheels 16 and 17, located respectively toward the front and rear of the vehicle. Sprocket wheels 16 and 17 are journaled to a bolster-frame 18 in pairs of bearings 19 and 20. Bearings 19 may be made.

longitudinally adjustable, by means of adjustmg screws 20', to regulate the tension in the tread. Bolster frame 18 is provided with two series of bearings 21 carrying the axles of pairs of wheels 22 which communicate the load to the treads and press the lower sides of the treads to the road. The upper side of.

each tread passes over a number of supporting idler rollers 23 journaled in bearin carried by the upper side of the bolsterrame.

The tractor frame is supported upon the bolster-frame by a pair of cross I beams 25.

The tractor frame comprises in general a pair of longitudinally extending channel bars 26, upon which is mounted at one end the engine 8 and at the other end a projecting tower support 27. The tower support is constructed of a steel net work of channel iron bars and plates, having four upright supportin posts 2 8 which are bolted to channels 26. osts 28 carry cross beams 29 and longitudinal beams 30, which project be ond the caterpillar treads. Auger tower 7 1s mounted upon the forward end of the tower support. The tower is formed of four upright angle osts 35, secured at their lower ends to t e sides of an auger shaft gear-box 36; Thetops of the posts are secured together by a suitable frame 37.' Grear ion ' box 36 is provided with a pair of trunnions :An auger 40 is secured to an auger shaft 41` whichvpasses thru gear-box 36 and carries within the gear box a bevel gear wheel 42. Shaft 41 is adapted to slide thru gear wheel 42 but is rotated thereby. Gear wheel 42 is rotated by a pinion 43 keyed to the end of a shaft 44. Shaft 44 is journaled in a. bearing 50 and gear-box 36 and is rotated by a wheel 66. 'Gear wheel 66 is keyed to a shaftm sprocket wheel 60, chain 61, sprocket wheel sprocket Wheel 51 keyed thereto.

Sprocket wheel 51 is driven, always in the same direction, to rotate the auger, by engine 8. Engine 8, thru suitable transmission mechanism located in a transmission housing'52 drives a pair of sprocket wheels 53, one on each side of the tractor, over which passes a pair of driving chains 54, which 'respectively engage sprocket wheels 55 associated with the drive wheel 17 of the respective treads 15. The engine thus serves to drive the tractor.

lThru the transmission mechanism the engine also drives a sprocket wheel over 4which passes a sprocket chain 61. Chain 61 passes over a sprocket wheel 62 carried loosely on a shaft 63 journaled in bearin s- 64 mounted upon ,the towersupport A2 Sprocket wheel 62 has rigidly secured there- -to a gear wheel 65 meshing with a gear 67 journaled in bearings 68 mounted on tower frame 27. Shaft 67 carries loosely thereon a sprocket wheel 70 which may be connected and disconnected therefrom by a clutch 71. Clutch 71 is controlled by a lever 72. Between sprocket wheels 51 and 70'extends a chain 73. Thus,- thru the transmission mechanism sprocket wheel 60, chain 61, sprocket wheel 62, gears 65 and 66, shaft 67, clutch 71, sprocket wheel 70, chain 73, sprocket wheel 51, shaft 44, and gears 43 and 42, the engine may rotate the auger. The rotation is always inthe 'Same direction and may be started and stopped at will by lever 72.

The engine also acts to raise and lower the auger. This is accomplished by suitably securing to the au er shaft an elevator having a hoisting and owering chain 75. Chain 75 passes over a pair of sprocket Wheels 76 and 77, mounted vrespectively near the bottom and top of the tower. ISprocket wheel 76 is keyed to a shaft 80 journaled in bear- 83 over which passes a. chain 84 to a sprocket wheel 85. Sprocket wheel 85 is loosely carried yon shaft 44 and is connected to a sprocket wheel 86 also loosely mounted on shaft 44. A chain 87 passes over sprocket wheel 86 and a sprocket wheel 88 loosely mounted on shaft 63. Sprocket wheel 88 is rigidly secured to a gear wheel 89 which is also loose on shaft 63. Thus as gear wheel 89 is rotated in one or the other direction, chain 75 is correspondingly moved and the auger sha-ft and auger are raised or lowered. Since the auger y shaft is loosely engaged by the opening in gear Wheel 42 the auger may be raised and lowered while it is being rotated.

Gear wheel 89 is driven in either direction b the engine, vin the following manner. I eyed to shaft 63 is a sprocket wheel 95, over which passes a chain 96, to a sprocket wheel 97 keyed to shaft 67. Loose-ly mounted on shaft 67 is a gear Wheel 98 which meshes with gear wheel 89. Gear Wheel 98 is connected to and disconnected from shaft 67 by a clutch-99 thru a toggle 101. ear wheel 89 may also be connected directly to shaft 63 by a clutch 102, which is also loperated by -levei 100. Clutches 99 and 102 are sorelated that when level' 100 is thrown to cause the gripping of one clutch, the other clutch is always thrown out of driving position. ,This prevents the stripping of the gears and injury to the clutc es and'other mechanism by inadvertently throwing the clutches so that the tendency would be to drive chain 87 in both directions simultaneously.

When lever 100 is operated to throw in Clutch 99, clutch 102 is thrown out. The drive forA the auger elevator is then thru oerated by a lever 100.

62, gear wheels 65 and 66, shaft 67, clutch 99, gear wheels 98 and 89, sprocket wheel.

wheels 65 and 66, sprocket wheel 97, chain '96, sprocket wheel 95, shaft 63 and clutch 102, to sprocketwheel 88 and chain 87. Thus sprocket wheel 88 is driven in the same Ydirection as shaft 67 and the auge shaft and auger is lowered.

To tilt the tower from its vertical position, gear 'box 36 is provided with a seg-l mental gear 105, which engages a worm 106. Worm 106 is manually operable by a crank which may. be applied to the squared end 107- of the worm shaft. By rotating the crank the tower may be inclined to any desired angle. -The pitch of worm 106 and ings 81 and 82, mounted onthe aupr tower. .gear 105 is so related that the tower is Shaft 80 has keyed thereto a spro et wheel locked against inadvertent or premature tilting. TheV tower can only be tilted by the operation of the crank.

The transmission, which may be of a well known type, may be controlledby a lever 110 so that when thev tractor is being moved the auger operating mechanism may be stopped and vice versa. The transmissionl may also be arranged, if desired, so that boring and movement of the tractor may take place simultaneously. The tractor 'may be steered by a steering wheel 111, which, in a well known manner, maycontrol clutches to apply power to only one tread the tower'and the tOOls carrie turned quickly andl about a small radius,

if necessary, practically about its center, so that no turn-table to position thev tower is required. The tractor presents a lar e surface to the ground and -is not readi y overturned. p The load is so distributed over the ground vthat the danger of cave-in and the difliculties of transportation'overI soft and uneven ground experienced With ordinary vehicles is largely, if not entirelyoverl Having described my invention, what Iclaimisz- A 1.. A tractor having a caterpillar tread and drive, a frame rigidlyl carried by and projecting beyond said caterpillar and a tower carried Iby said frame and pivoted thereto on a horizontal axis.

2. A tractorhaving a caterpillar tread and drive, a frame rlgidly carried by and l projecting beyond said caterpillar, and a tiltable tower carried by lsaid frame.

3. A tractor having a' caterpillar tread and drive, a frame rigidly carried by and projecting beyond both ends of said caterpillar, a tower rigidly carried 'by said frame adjacent one end, and a source of power for driving said tractor and rigidly carried by said frame adjacent the opposite end thereof to balance thel weight of said tower.v

4. A tractor having a frame, a tgwer rigidly carried adjacent one end' thereof.44 A

a source of power adjacentthe other end of said frame' to balance the weight ofsaid tower, and a caterpillar tread and drive for supporting said frame and drive by said source of power. v

i 5. A tractor having a caterpillar tread and drive, a frame,-a tower rigidly supported by vsaid frame adjacent one en`d thereof, a tool carried by said tower, and a motor carried by said frame adjacent the oppo- `site end thereof and` serving to drive said caterpillar and said tool.

In testimony whereof I 'hereunto subscribe my name.

,GUsTAv R. GEHRANDT. 

